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I'm currently nearing the end of my Dean Goods build using a Mainline body on a Mallard chassis for the loco and a Mainline tender with a scratchbuilt chassis (for an electrically live pickup system and weighted on the loco drawbar). At first I only had the tender top and acquired an underframe from Peter's Trains. What I hadn't realised was that the buffer beam was not included. I'm quite happy to make this myself but I can't find a photo of the rear in order to place the rivet heads etc. in the correct places. Could anyone point me in the right direction to find a photo or a drawing? Russell's books don't seem to have drawings of tender ends - or at least not the 2500 gall one.

I remember seeing 6014 at Taunton when I was a lad, c.1958/59, and noticing the wedge shaped cab. At the time I wasn't sure what it was - but before long I did! It was coupled to a train of Chocolate and Cream Centenary stock and the recessed doors impressed me at the time - but, like the cab, I had no idea what the coaches were. If only I could go back and take another look.....................

Hobby Specialists in Shrewsbury, that's a blast from the past. When we were first married we lived in Oswestry and soon after took a trip to 'Salop' (as the locals call it). The model shop was on the itinerary (well, mine anyway......) and I bought a set of Eclipse jewellers screwdrivers,some needle files and a craft knife, all of which I still have (almost 50 years later) and use often.

I think it is a Loadhauler Dave. Tthe final drive gear MAY now be one of the 'hybrid' ones now, nylon with a brass centre? Mine was a couple of years old.

'The Subterranean Railway' by Christian Wolmar. A nicely thick paperback full of the history of the underground from the earliest days. I found it fascinating - even though I detest London as a place to visit. And don't forget there is a TV series coming soon on Yesterday - see the thread on here.

Giving this thread a bump as it has become relevant again with the Narrow Planet kit now available. Lots of variations to get excited about!

Probably so - remember 'Porter's Cap' gearboxes? Precursors to the High Level ones before Chris branched out on his own.

Owing to the steepness of the gradient, I believe passenger trains were propelled up the Holywell branch in North Wales.

I'm going to wait until Dave has got well down the line with his before I start on mine

Really looking forward to this series. I've got a copy of Christian Wolmar's book, 'The Subterranean Railway', which I picked up in a charity shop a few years ago. I found it a fascinating read, especially the bits about the inter-company rivalry in the early days. I might read it again to prime myself for the show.

Arrived this morning (after a delay with post due to me not being in on Saturday when they first tried to deliver) and so has Ruston's. Along with Mr Ruston we will be sorting out a scratch built chassis (for, in my case, P4) probably profile milled as is his wont. Details in due course somewhere on the forum............

The Riemsdyk mechanisms were used on this layout, taken from the Model Railway News (approx 1956? Can't remember!). The owner says he set them to the slowest speed and then removed the control lever so they only ran at the slowest speed and controlled them with the reversing lever. Did it have a 'centre off' position? I've always like this little layout, tempted to try a P4 version someday.........

I was going to mention those but you've beaten me to it! I had several in my 'stash' for years until I realised that they would look good in my scrapyard on 'Enigma Engineering', rather beaten up and rusty with the axles on piles of bricks. I think I may still have a couple, including the 'Le Mans' Bentley - which would be far to grand for a scrap yard!

Enjoyed this mini series. Have to admit that my knowledge of Irish railways is a bit limited - but I do find them quite fascinating.

I was in Cologne mid/late 80's for a trade fair at the Messe and stayed in a hotel just across from the station. Needless to say an evening walk was necessary and it just happened to end up on the platform. The road route to the Messe crossed the Rhine a few hundred metres from the railway bridge and I remember thinking at the time what an impressive structure it was. What was equally impressive was the pub we went to in the city centre (past the 'Dom' - amazing building) where they served 'Schweine Haxe(?)', large portions of pork legs with seemingly endless 'biers'. At the end of the evening the waitress knew exactly what we had each had despite her not writing anything down!

Reading about the plans by John Elmslie (and also John Ahern) I'm of the opinion that some of them wouldn't actually work in practice. The points are drawn to short and also headshunts etc. Drawn as a plan with a single line all looks reasonably OK but when transposed onto a baseboard with proper track gauge and centres etc. I'm sure they would be difficult to build with any degree of real life workability. But they are very useful for inspiration!

Speak for yourself whoever you are

Have I missed something? What's the frames for?

Available now - https://www.lightrailwaystores.co.uk/collections/locomotives/products/pil-005 Credit card poised! I'll need to scratch build a chassis - but possibly arrange with Ruston to profile mill one perhaps? EDIT - Done!

Two model railway incidents to report today. Yesterday morning on Talking Pictures was shown 'Runaway Railway' a 1965 B&W childrens film about a mail train robbery. Filmed on the Longmor Military Railway it starred Ronnie Barker along with other 'stars' of the period including Jon Pertwee and Graham Stark. Plot wise it was the usual stuff, ludicrous train chases, OTT characters etc. - but it did feature a model railway/train set where the 'plotters' used some Triang (standard track, West Country (I think) loco only, Jinty and bogie parcel van) to plan the robbery. The main film loco was an Austerity saddle tank with some additional fittings by the producers including some outside 'cylinders' at a weird angle - and no connecting rods! A strange chimney extension and something on top of the dome - and some very heavy lining and large 'Matilda' nameplates. The 'mail van' was an ordinary box van - with an end door and ladder - and a 'mail pickup apparatus'! Best part was seeing the Austerity 2-10-0 'Gordon' in full flight as the express engine. Available on YouTube I believe. This morning i caught a few early minutes of 'The Red Baron' which featured some 'posh' WW1 German pilots around a breakfast table with a 3-rail O Gauge train set delivering boiled eggs in hopper wagons. TBH, to me, the loco looked to modern but I'm probably quite wrong! BTW, don't confuse 'Runaway Railway' with 'Runaway Train' - there is no comparison whatsoever.

I don't think it was any of those variants - but I didn't see it during the evaluation only during the auction. My recollection is that there were a loco and 3 wagons in assorted primary colours packed vertically in a sectioned box - and it was in very good condition. Was the price it achieved realistic?

Eastfleet was built by WRMC (note, WRMC not WMRC*) member Keith Parker in EM and exhibited by him a few times. He then passed it on to friend and fellow club member Derek Senior who modified/extended it. In this guise it appeared at Wakefield show and possible Expo EM (?) but Derek moved a bit further South and I'm not sure what then happened to it. It was a very nice layout with a viaduct section across the 'sea'. *Wakefield Railway Modellers' Club not Model Railway Club. Got to get things right...............

A mint (well, very nearly) boxed Meccano Dinky Toys train has just been sold on 'Flog It' for £170. Loco and 3 wagons. Never seen one before so every day's a school day as they say

A couple of items to mention. Saturday saw the Ealing film 'Barnacle Bill' with Alec Guiness buying a run down seaside pier - complete with miniature steam train running along it. And then on Sunday, John Betjeman taking a green DMU (Cravens?) from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton. An enjoyable B&W shortie with the last shots showing the pier at Hunstanton - which was the one used in the Alec Guiness film! Before this I didn't know Hunstanton (Hunston to locals) even had a pier! It fell down c.1970 I think. Not surprising looking at the state of it in the film. The Sunday evening, Mcdonald and Dodds with the Box Hill layout mentioned in a separate thread. All in all quite an exciting weekend. It doesn't take much these days.......................

The series on Chatsworth House has featured the staff catching them in the river and ponds. They reckon the species are capable of walking considerable distances between sttretches of water.